S. SEKOU ABODUNRIN
I want to encourage you to read through 1 Corinthians chapters 12, 13 & 14. In 1 Corinthians 12 we have the manifestations of the Spirit, while in chapter 13 we have the great expose on love. The Apostle felt it important to discuss these two concepts before going onto chapter 14. Chapter 14 is in effect an application of chapter 12 and 13. Chapter 14 will not make any sense until you realise that it is an outline of how love will seek to bring the greatest possible benefit through the manifestation of the Spirit. It is seeking to describe love beings in fellowship. When you mix love and the manifestation of the Spirit together you have the local church in expression.
The local church is a place where love reaches out through one believer to bless another believer. This puts the supernatural in proper perspective. The supernatural manifestations of the Spirit are not a badge of spirituality in themselves, they only serve their purpose when we are well adjusted to our love nature. Love is spirituality. The manifestation is an aid to showcase this love. The manifestation will also as quickly showcase unlove and confusion if these lessons are ignored, the problem is not with the manifestation, but with unlove.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal 1 Cor 12:7
We see that the manifestation is given; it is given by the Spirit to our spirit so that we can receive it and give it on to others. It is easier to think that the problem is on the giving side so we plead with God to send manifestation whereas he is far more willing and able to manifest himself than our asking can ever express. He has given, but do we receive? Many dont receive, Then some that receive are unaware that God's intent was to bless others. The reason for the manifestation of the Spirit is to bring benefit or profiting to the believers around you. The implication of this is that there is a whole lot that the Spirit of God would pour out to you in your private life that is not really meant for you alone. Often the believer has been conditioned to expect this flow when he is in “meetings”, while it is true that there will be manifestation while gathered with other believers the real flow happens when you are not in a “spiritual” environment. This is the very reason why many Christians think that the Spirit does not flow through them when in reality he does but unlove stops them from pressing further to bring the manifestation out into the open where it can bless some other person. We are often expecting some “new” thing, when we already have his ministry within.
This is where 1 Cor 13 comes in. It is the prevalence of God’s love within you that will open you up to the fact that the manifestations of the Spirit that you often personalise are really meant for the edification of another person. We are often not sensitive to this because of the ceiling that the flesh imposes on our soul – things like sadness, depression and melancholy. So when the comfort of God flows out of our spirits we quickly appropriate it for ourselves and sadly it all ends there. The melancholy is reversed and we are now happy!! Yippee!! In reality if you weren’t sad to start with, it would have been obvious that the surge of encouragement that you can perceive must be for another’s benefit. The fact then is that until I learn to walk in God, I would unconsciously think every “word” or “prophecy” that comes to me in private is for me! We are the hand that Christ will use to extend comfort into the lives around us. Because we think this way we know that utterance manifestations will pour out of our spirits by God's Spirit to edify people.
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 2 Cor 1:4
This teaches that in any trouble we can expect comfort. We receive from this comfort, but the comfort of the Spirit that is flowing in the midst of our tribulations is not primarily given for our benefit alone but that through us, as yielded vessels, God is able to convey his mercy to others. We are required to take this edification that we have in the midst of trials and tribulations and brood upon it until we become full of the ministry of God. When we get to the presence of other men, the Spirit reaches within this fullness that we have within and pours out tremendous blessing to others. This is only possible when love reigns in me. Otherwise it is all about me.
Very often believers are waiting for some mysterious force to shake them or make their teeth rattle before they move out in the spirit, but the truth is that you can rise up within and allow the activity of the Spirit in you to bless others.
How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying 1 Cor 14:26
According to the truths presented in 1 Cor 14 believers ought to go to church conscious of the fact that they already have something. You receive this in private. The emphasis in our day makes church largely a thing of “coming to get”, which is good in its own place, but there is something better – coming to give that which you have from God. He is talking of things that we had before the meeting and not because we came to the meeting to start with. Imagine what would happen when believers become so love-aware that they rush to meetings in order to give that which will edify another. The implication is that before the meeting you are meant to have something, and this is not about offerings, but about the release and operation of the Spirit through you!
Since you already have these things before the meeting, it shows that there is nothing magical about the venue that suddenly causes you to be spiritual. The meeting is not really where you come to get something to give “on the spur of the moment”; it is a place where you watch for the timing of when to give what you already have.
I want to encourage you to read through 1 Corinthians chapters 12, 13 & 14. In 1 Corinthians 12 we have the manifestations of the Spirit, while in chapter 13 we have the great expose on love. The Apostle felt it important to discuss these two concepts before going onto chapter 14. Chapter 14 is in effect an application of chapter 12 and 13. Chapter 14 will not make any sense until you realise that it is an outline of how love will seek to bring the greatest possible benefit through the manifestation of the Spirit. It is seeking to describe love beings in fellowship. When you mix love and the manifestation of the Spirit together you have the local church in expression.
The local church is a place where love reaches out through one believer to bless another believer. This puts the supernatural in proper perspective. The supernatural manifestations of the Spirit are not a badge of spirituality in themselves, they only serve their purpose when we are well adjusted to our love nature. Love is spirituality. The manifestation is an aid to showcase this love. The manifestation will also as quickly showcase unlove and confusion if these lessons are ignored, the problem is not with the manifestation, but with unlove.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal 1 Cor 12:7
We see that the manifestation is given; it is given by the Spirit to our spirit so that we can receive it and give it on to others. It is easier to think that the problem is on the giving side so we plead with God to send manifestation whereas he is far more willing and able to manifest himself than our asking can ever express. He has given, but do we receive? Many dont receive, Then some that receive are unaware that God's intent was to bless others. The reason for the manifestation of the Spirit is to bring benefit or profiting to the believers around you. The implication of this is that there is a whole lot that the Spirit of God would pour out to you in your private life that is not really meant for you alone. Often the believer has been conditioned to expect this flow when he is in “meetings”, while it is true that there will be manifestation while gathered with other believers the real flow happens when you are not in a “spiritual” environment. This is the very reason why many Christians think that the Spirit does not flow through them when in reality he does but unlove stops them from pressing further to bring the manifestation out into the open where it can bless some other person. We are often expecting some “new” thing, when we already have his ministry within.
This is where 1 Cor 13 comes in. It is the prevalence of God’s love within you that will open you up to the fact that the manifestations of the Spirit that you often personalise are really meant for the edification of another person. We are often not sensitive to this because of the ceiling that the flesh imposes on our soul – things like sadness, depression and melancholy. So when the comfort of God flows out of our spirits we quickly appropriate it for ourselves and sadly it all ends there. The melancholy is reversed and we are now happy!! Yippee!! In reality if you weren’t sad to start with, it would have been obvious that the surge of encouragement that you can perceive must be for another’s benefit. The fact then is that until I learn to walk in God, I would unconsciously think every “word” or “prophecy” that comes to me in private is for me! We are the hand that Christ will use to extend comfort into the lives around us. Because we think this way we know that utterance manifestations will pour out of our spirits by God's Spirit to edify people.
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 2 Cor 1:4
This teaches that in any trouble we can expect comfort. We receive from this comfort, but the comfort of the Spirit that is flowing in the midst of our tribulations is not primarily given for our benefit alone but that through us, as yielded vessels, God is able to convey his mercy to others. We are required to take this edification that we have in the midst of trials and tribulations and brood upon it until we become full of the ministry of God. When we get to the presence of other men, the Spirit reaches within this fullness that we have within and pours out tremendous blessing to others. This is only possible when love reigns in me. Otherwise it is all about me.
Very often believers are waiting for some mysterious force to shake them or make their teeth rattle before they move out in the spirit, but the truth is that you can rise up within and allow the activity of the Spirit in you to bless others.
How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying 1 Cor 14:26
According to the truths presented in 1 Cor 14 believers ought to go to church conscious of the fact that they already have something. You receive this in private. The emphasis in our day makes church largely a thing of “coming to get”, which is good in its own place, but there is something better – coming to give that which you have from God. He is talking of things that we had before the meeting and not because we came to the meeting to start with. Imagine what would happen when believers become so love-aware that they rush to meetings in order to give that which will edify another. The implication is that before the meeting you are meant to have something, and this is not about offerings, but about the release and operation of the Spirit through you!
Since you already have these things before the meeting, it shows that there is nothing magical about the venue that suddenly causes you to be spiritual. The meeting is not really where you come to get something to give “on the spur of the moment”; it is a place where you watch for the timing of when to give what you already have.
As we develop in love, we become so conscious of the people that God wants to reach out to that we become full of the answers. We carry these answers into the meetings. You realise that Paul just listed 5 broad categories – psalm, doctrine, tongue, revelation & interpretation. This would mean that a church of 50 Christians would have about 10 people each with about the same message to deliver! This is good. The thing to note is that you shouldn’t go for a meeting and everything spoken was over your head. You should have a witness. Everyone ought to know something before the meeting.
Paul said two or three should do the speaking in the general meeting. He is not saying only these should talk at all. This definitely means that the greatest blessing doesn’t happen in the general assembly, otherwise why did everyone come with things to minister and you allow only two or three? Love will teach you that there is timing for the delivery of what you have. Likely you belong to some unit or group in church, what do you do there? Talk about the size of the new church bus? Or the colour of Gordon brown’s latest shirt? These are powerful opportunities to deliver what you have. While hugging the folks at close of service the love-man doesn’t fume that he wasn’t called out to minister, he knows the people to hug, the ones to run after at the close of service so that he can release the ministry of God.
… to be continued.
Paul said two or three should do the speaking in the general meeting. He is not saying only these should talk at all. This definitely means that the greatest blessing doesn’t happen in the general assembly, otherwise why did everyone come with things to minister and you allow only two or three? Love will teach you that there is timing for the delivery of what you have. Likely you belong to some unit or group in church, what do you do there? Talk about the size of the new church bus? Or the colour of Gordon brown’s latest shirt? These are powerful opportunities to deliver what you have. While hugging the folks at close of service the love-man doesn’t fume that he wasn’t called out to minister, he knows the people to hug, the ones to run after at the close of service so that he can release the ministry of God.
… to be continued.
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